Keep
your eyes open!...
April 28, 2023
(Mar 10:13-15) And they brought to
him young children, that he might touch them. And the disciples rebuked
them that brought them. Whom when Jesus saw, he was much displeased and
saith to them: Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid
them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Amen I say to you,
whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall
not enter into it.
CNA: Report shows 6% decrease in abortions in six months after Dobbs decision
LIFESITE: Planned Parenthood Annual Report Shows It Killed 374,155 Babies in Abortions
THE PILLAR: Life after death: Texas abortion clinic set to become parenting center
EDITORIAL ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR: We must reaffirm commitment to human life
God created humans as social beings. We are all dependent upon each
other for mutual survival and for the recognition of our common human
dignity. There are times when this dependency is most acute, especially
in circumstances of vulnerability and poverty.
An expectant mother can face many
challenges, including lack of support from the father, financial
strains, concerns about her own health and that of her child, and
pressures from family and friends. Every woman should be able to depend
upon a community of support. That is why Catholic social service
agencies, in collaboration with many other faith-based and secular
organizations, assist pregnant women in need with material resources
and personal accompaniment, both during pregnancy and after their child
is born. (For a listing of the many resources available for pregnant
women in need in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, please go to https://catholicaoc.org/forlife.)
A woman should never feel that she must abandon her dreams due to an
unexpected pregnancy, whether she ultimately decides to raise the child
herself or place the child for adoption.
The Catholic Church, in Ohio and
nationwide, also engages in public policy advocacy for access to
quality pre- and post-natal health care, paid parental leave laws,
affordable childcare options, preferential housing options for women
and young children, and robust child tax credits.
Dependency on others for life and
recognition of dignity is equally the case for those still growing in
the womb. From the moment of conception, a unique human person exists.
Science shows us this. The Catholic Church and many other faiths
proclaim this. We might say that, from that point forward, a person’s
life stages can be distinguished simply by how much he or she has grown
and how dependent upon the actions of others that person is for
survival. For example, an unborn child is entirely dependent upon
his/her mother to be introduced into the rest of the world; a young
child cannot flourish without being raised by others; and an elderly
person may depend upon his/her children to make it through the day.
Ultimately, we are all dependent upon each other.
At no point should any person,
inside or outside the womb, be deemed less of a life because someone
else says so. To think otherwise is to objectify that life. Society
must never claim for itself the "right" to determine the value,
worthiness or dignity of another person for any reason whatsoever,
including whether or not that person is wanted. Yet, today, our culture
suggests that some humans are more important than others, and those
less-important humans might actually be expendable. Pope Francis has
lamented, "The throwaway culture says, 'I use you as much as I need
you. When I am not interested in you anymore, or you are in my way, I
throw you out.' It is especially the weakest who are treated this way -
unborn children, the elderly, the needy, the disadvantaged."
We are currently facing an
extraordinary threat to the dignity of life right here in Ohio: an
amendment (deceptively named "The Right to Reproductive Freedom with
Protections for Health and Safety") to the Ohio Constitution that would
enshrine the "right" to take the lives of innocent children in the womb
and harm mothers in the process is being proposed to voters for the
November 2023 ballot. This amendment also would remove existing
parental notification laws and basic safety standards and enable
abortion based solely on a preborn child’s disability diagnosis.
Innocent children in the womb would be lost, and their mothers would be
both wounded in the moment and emotionally scarred for years to come.
Ohio does not need a constitutional amendment that only perpetuates
violence and a culture of death.
God alone is the Author and Lord of
life. Therefore, the intentional taking of innocent human life, no
matter the circumstances, is intrinsically evil and must always be
opposed. Any position to the contrary is inconsistent with the constant
teaching of the Catholic Church because it is inconsistent with the
nature of life itself.
In the name of the one Lord of
Life, we must vigorously oppose any suggestion that there exists a
"right" to take the life of an unborn child in the womb. Instead, let
us all engage in prayer and a joyful outpouring of love and support for
pregnant women, especially those most in need. No woman should feel so
alone, coerced or hopeless that she chooses to end her child’s life
through abortion. I urge everyone throughout Ohio to both pray for and
actively assist all expectant mothers. Together, let us redouble our
commitment to caring for women, children and families so that abortion
is not only illegal, but unthinkable.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Possessing Nothing
17.
Someone asked a hermit to accept money for his future needs
but he refused, because the produce of his labour was enough for him.
When the giver persisted, and begged him to take it for the needs of
the poor, he replied, 'If I did that my disgrace would be twofold. I do
not need it, yet I would have accepted it: and when I gave it to
others, I would suffer from vanity.'
April 26, 2023
(Joh 8:31-32) Then Jesus said to
those Jews who believed him: If you continue in my word, you shall be
my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth: and the truth shall
make you free.
BLESSED JERZY POPIELUSZKO:
‘Truth contains within itself the ability to resist and to blossom in
the light of day, even if [truth’s opponents] try very diligently and
carefully to hide it. Those who proclaim the truth do not need to be
numerous. Falsehood is what requires a lot of people, because it always
needs to be renewed and fed. Our duty as Christians is to abide in the
truth, even if it costs us dearly.’
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER: Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko, a Martyr of Our Times
RADIO INTERVIEW: The inspiring and heroic life of Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko
IGNATIUS PRESS: Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko Truth versus Totalitarianism
FILM: Popieluszko. Freedom Is Within
Father Jerzy Popieluszko is a legend of Solidarity. Born in 1947 in the
Bialystok region, he was ordained in May 1972 by Cardinal Stefan
Wyszynski.
He was the chaplain of Warsaw
nurses, worked at St. Anne's Church which serves the university
community, and in June 1980 arrived at the St. Stanislaw Kostka parish
in Zoliborz district. During the strikes of August 1980 he provided
pastoral guidance to the steel mill workers on strike at Huta Warszawa,
and subsequently became their chaplain. After martial law was imposed
on 13 December 1981 he didn't stop supporting Solidarity. With his
parish priest, Father Teofil Bogucki, he celebrated Masses for the
Homeland which brought in thousands of the faithful from different
circles; he was an active charity worker - also for the benefit of
victims of martial law, and his home was used as a contact point by
activists and sympathizers of the banned Solidarity trade union. He was
an initiator of the Working People's Pilgrimage to Jasna Góra in
September 1983. Before that, in May 1983, he conducted the funeral of
Grzegorz Przemyk - a Warsaw secondary-school student beaten to death by
the communist police, the son of Barbara Sadowska, a sympathizer of the
opposition.
The communist authorities tried to restrict Father Jerzy's activity as
it was gaining wide public support. Accused of abusing church
institutions and practices in order to carry on political activity,
subjected to provocations and kept under surveillance by the secret
police, he was arrested after a search of his home during which
previously planted explosives and printing materials were found. He was
accused of "activity harmful to the interests of People's Poland", an
offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He was released upon
the intervention of church authorities.
Despite preparations for his trial, Father Popieluszko did not cease
his activity, and even refused to go away to the Vatican to study, an
option suggested by the Polish primate, Cardinal Józef Glemp. He was
kidnapped in October 1984 and then brutally murdered by functionaries
of the anti-church Department IV of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Father Jerzy Popieluszko's funeral turned into a demonstration of many
thousands of people against the methods used by the state apparatus of
oppression. Father Jerzy's grave became the destination of pilgrimages
of Roman Catholics from Poland and the whole world, including Pope John
Paul II. Father Popieluszko's beatification process is currently under
way.
CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY:
According to a 1990 article in the Washington Post, Cardinal Józef
Glemp, Archbishop of Warsaw at the time, received a secret message from
the Polish Pope John Paul II, demanding that Glemp defend Popieluszko
and advocate for his release.
"Defend Father Jerzy - or they'll start finding weapons in the desk of every second bishop," the pope wrote.
But the Communist officials did not relent. According to court
testimony, in September 1984 Communist officials had decided that the
priest needed to either be pushed from a train, have a "beautiful
traffic accident" or be tortured to death.
On October 13, 1984, Popieluszko managed to avoid a traffic accident
set up to kill him. The back-up plan, capture and torture, was carried
out by Communist authorities on Oct. 19. They lured the priest to them
by pretending that their car had broken down on a road along which the
priest was travelling.
The captors reportedly beat the priest with a rock until he died, and
then tied his mangled body to rocks and bags of sand and dumped it in a
reservoir along the Vistula River.
His body was recovered on Oct. 30, 1984.
His death grieved and enraged Catholics and members of the Solidarity
movement, who had hoped to accomplish social change without violence.
NEWS REPORT: Sainthood of Polish priest murdered by communists delayed after miracle not proven
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Possessing Nothing
16.
A brother asked a hermit, 'What must I do to be saved?' He took
off his clothes, and put a girdle about his loins and stretched out his
hands and said, 'Thus ought the monk to be: stripped naked of
everything, and crucified by temptation and combat with the world.'
April 24, 2023
(Jas 1:2-4) My brethren, count it all
joy, when you shall fall into divers temptations: Knowing that the
trying of your faith worketh patience And patience hath a perfect work:
that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing.
FR. MARK GORING, CC: Luxurious Mountain-Top Resort
SIMPLY CATHOLIC: How can we make sense of suffering?
CATHOLIC TELEGRAPH: Mary: A Model of Joy in Suffering
Whenever I think of Mary’s joy, I’m instantly reminded of the Joyful
Mysteries: the Annunciation, Visitation, Birth of Jesus, Presentation
in the Temple and Finding Jesus in the Temple. As I meditated on these
events, however, I noticed a pattern: her joyful moments were also
surrounded by suffering. This is, perhaps, an overlooked aspect of
Mary’s joy, with implications for our lives.
A CLOSER LOOK
At the Annunciation, Mary received the good news that she would be the
Mother of the Messiah. But there’s also the fact that she would be the
Mother of the Messiah. That’s a lot to accept, to say the least. She
had confusion too, since she previously promised to remain a virgin.
And she faced the prospect of gossip and humiliation because Joseph had
not yet taken her into his home. And yet, this is a Joyful Mystery.
At the Visitation, Mary went to be
with Elizabeth and share the joy of each other’s pregnancies. But the
journey into the hill country was 81 miles! She would spend three
months in someone else’s home and take care of a pregnant woman when
she herself was pregnant. And yet, this is a Joyful Mystery.
At the Birth of Jesus, the Savior
has come! Angels were announcing, shepherds were praising, magi were
searching— the whole thing was wrapped in celestial splendor. But Mary
was laboring in a stall for animals. The King wanted to kill Jesus. And
yet, this is a Joyful Mystery.
At the Presentation in the Temple,
Simeon prophesied that Jesus would be the salvation of all people, a
light to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. But he didn’t stop
there. He also said Mary’s son would be a sign that is spoken against,
and a sword would pierce her heart. And yet, this is a Joyful Mystery.
Finally, at the Finding of Jesus in
the Temple, Mary surely felt great joy at locating her missing son. But
wasn’t this also an anxious moment? They searched for three days,
working through the traveling party and scouring Jerusalem before they
found Him. If you’ve ever lost a child, you know what that’s like! And
yet, this is a Joyful Mystery.
HOW CAN THIS BE?
So, what do we make of this, the fact that the Joyful Mysteries are permeated with suffering?
First of all, Mary shows us that
not even perfect holiness escapes suffering. Of course, we try to
escape it anyway, which is understandable. Suffering is painful—no one
is particularly fond of it. Even Mary had big feelings about it. “Your
father and I have been looking for you anxiously” (Lk. 2:48).
In the final analysis, it doesn’t
make sense for Christians to avoid it at all cost. The path to paradise
leads through suffering, through the Cross and Calvary. Since this is
the path of Jesus, there can be no other way. Thankfully, God promises
to eradicate suffering when He comes again and, in the meantime, to
grant us the grace to bring tremendous good out of it. Mary believed
this with all her heart. Do you?
A NEW REALITY
This leads to the second reason why Mary, in suffering, is a model of
joy. Sources of suffering that require humility, faith or trust are not
an obstacle to her—she’s filled with these virtues! Furthermore, her
joy remains because it is not dependent on everything going her way. It
remains because God is good, He desires her good, and He can bring good
out of anything. This God is unchanging, and she trusts Him completely.
Trust in this God and, like Mary,
your joy will be complete, even in suffering. This was the immutable
reality of Mary’s life, and it is the hope of every Christian.
CATHOLIC STAND: Saints’ Quotes on Redemptive Suffering
GOOD CATHOLIC: What St. John Vianney Taught About the Value of Suffering
ST. AUGUSTINE:
Wherefore, though good and bad men suffer alike, we must not suppose
that there is no difference between the men themselves, because there
is no difference in what they both suffer. For even in the likeness of
the sufferings, there remains an unlikeness in the sufferers; and
though exposed to the same anguish, virtue and vice are not the same
thing. For as the same fire causes gold to glow brightly, and chaff to
smoke… so the same violence of affliction proves, purges, clarifies the
good, but damns, ruins, exterminates the wicked. And thus it is that in
the same affliction the wicked detest God and blaspheme, while the good
pray and praise. So material a difference does it make, not what ills
are suffered, but what kind of man suffers them.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Possessing Nothing
14.
Hyperichius said, 'To accept poverty freely is the monk's
treasure. Therefore, my brother, lay up treasure in heaven, where
there will be endless time for rest.'
April 21, 2023
(Rev 13:15-17)
And
it was given him to give life to the image of the beast: and that the
image of the beast should speak: and should cause that whosoever will
not adore the image of the beast should be slain. And he shall make
all, both little and great, rich and poor, freemen and bondmen, to have
a character in their right hand or on their foreheads: And that no man
might buy or sell, but he that hath the character, or the name of the
beast, or the number of his name.
CATHOLIC STAND EDITORIAL: Of Artificial Intelligence and Human Folly
EDITORIAL: Machine Learning Investor Warns AI Is Becoming Like a God
CHURCH POP: The Catholic Faith & AI? The Church’s Crucial Role in Shaping the Future of Technology
Can the Catholic Church and AI coexist? In a recent episode
of The Catholic Talk Show, Ryan Scheel and Ryan Dellacrosse discuss how
the intersection of faith and artificial intelligence presents unique
challenges and opportunities for the Catholic Church with Thaddeus
Ruszkowski.
Ruszkowski delved into the Church’s responsibility to shape the ethical and moral implications of AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
Emphasizing the distinction between humans and AI, he said, “The beauty
of this is we are, as creators, inspired to create things… ChatGPT
never will be inspired. A differentiation there is that we look at
ChatGPT as a tool– like a hammer.” He explained the Church can use AI
as a powerful tool for evangelization, pastoral care, education and
administration without considering it a replacement for these things.
As AI advances rapidly, concerns also arise about possible negative
consequences, such as misuse for nefarious purposes, obsolescence of
human labor, and exacerbation of social inequality.
Ruszkowski explained the Church has a crucial role in addressing these
ethical challenges and ensuring that AI serves the greater good rather
than causing harm. This points to Pope Benedict XVI’s writings on
technology and using newfound freedom responsibly. “Technology is
neutral… it’s the implementation and it’s how people sadly too often,
in their corrupt hearts, use technology to see how they can either
subjugate or exploit other people for their own benefit.” The Church’s
responsibility is to act as a moral compass, helping society navigate
the complex landscape of AI.
To harness AI’s potential while minimizing its risks, the Church must
emphasize the importance of decentralizing AI technology and promoting
its ethical use. “That’s why this should be kind of decentralized, and
it’s very dangerous that this type of technology and the potential
inevitability of where it goes being held by too few people and why the
Church really needs to be able to put ethics into this.”
By embracing AI responsibly and ethically, the Church has the potential
to enrich its mission and connect with people in innovative ways. “A
lot of our technology was used to free people up to have these
encounters–these more meaningful encounters instead of doing all this
desk stuff.” In doing so, the Church can ensure a future where
technology serves the greater good, amplifying the positive impact of
our Faith on the world!
ROMECALL.ORG: The Call for AI Ethics
is a document signed by the Pontifical Academy for Life, Microsoft,
IBM, FAO and the Ministry of Innovation, a part of the Italian
Government in Rome on February 28th 2020 to promote an ethical approach
to artificial intelligence. The idea behind it is to promote a sense of
shared responsibility among international organizations, governments,
institutions and the private sector in an effort to create a future in
which digital innovation and technological progress grant mankind its
centrality.
SLASHDOT DISCUSSION: How Should AI Be Regulated?
RELATED HEADLINES
Alarmed tech leaders call for AI research pause
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The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Possessing Nothing
13. Syncletica
of blessed memory was asked, 'Is absolute poverty perfect goodness?'
She replied, 'It is a great good for those who can do it. Even
those who cannot bear it find rest to their souls though they suffer
bodily anxiety. As strong clothes are laundered pure white by
being turned and trodden under foot in water, a strong soul is
strengthened by freely accepting poverty.'
April 19, 2023
(Joh 15:18-20) If the world hate you,
know ye that it hath hated me before you. If you had been of the world,
the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but
I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Remember my word that I said to you: The servant is not greater than
his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they have kept my word, they will keep yours also.
THE CHRISTIAN POST: Why Christians should be prepared for persecution
The early missionaries were never afraid to die. Many of them were
killed for the sake of the Gospel and all of us in Africa got the
Gospel because someone jeopardized their life to reach us. When James
Calvert went out as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands,
the ship captain tried to turn him back, saying, “you will lose your
life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages.” To
that, Calvert replied, “we died before we came here.”
NEWSWIRE: Persecution of Latin American Christians Reaching Alarming Levels Says Watchdog Organization
According to Global Christian
Relief, America's leading watchdog of Christian persecution, the rate
of persecution for Christians in many Latin American countries is
rising sharply. More and more frequently in areas across Central and
South America, governments are condemning church activities,
imprisoning and expelling priests and church officials, and passing
laws that force churches to comply. Guerrilla-controlled cartels and
gangs often threaten or kill those who object to the drug trade and
view the church as a threat to their growing power.
"We tend to think of Christian
persecution as something that happens 'over there,' thousands of miles
away. But these acts of religious oppression are happening to fellow
believers right on America's doorstep," said David Curry, CEO of Global
Christian Relief. "We need to stand with our brothers and sisters in
Jesus who are suffering in these areas of the world through prayer and
support and let them know they are not alone. The church is primed to
be an anchor for these communities, a refuge from the violence and
corruption, a place for healing."
In Nicaragua, at least 190 attacks
were made against the church between 2018 and 2022, according to
Catholic News Agency. More recently, the President Ortega-led
government expelled 222 people considered political prisoners. One
Catholic official among them, Monsignor Rolando Alvarez, refused to
leave and has been sentenced to 26 years in prison. Those who did leave
were given asylum in the United States. Nicaragua is on the U.S. State
Department's Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) list for
"particularly sever violations of religious freedom."
Christians in Mexico and Colombia
experience a variety of difficulties, including threats and
intimidation by gangs, human trafficking and political instability. In
rural areas, Christians often come into conflict with family and
community members who believe in ancestral and traditional religions.
"The situation for followers of
Jesus is deteriorating very rapidly, especially in the countryside,"
said Curry. "For example, Christian farmers in Colombia who refuse to
grow the coca leaf face some of the most intense persecution in the
world—death by drug cartel."
In Cuba, Christians face a
communist regime that espouses anti-religious ideology, suppresses
freedom of thought and has historically tried to limit the influence of
the church. Requests to register new churches are often refused and
those leading unlicensed house churches can be fined and have their
property confiscated.
"Violence continues to explode
across Latin America, with almost no area getting any better. Religious
liberty is in many places non-existent or under great pressure," said
Curry. "Our heart as Global Christian Relief is to stand with
persecuted Christians were they facing the greatest challenges for
their faith. We plan to support fellow believers for the long haul by
investing in ministry and training so they can be a light for the
gospel in their communities."
RELATED: “Being a Catholic in Nicaragua in this time of persecution is a risk”
VIA THE STREAM:
HEADLINES FROM AFRICA
Over 50,000 massacred in Nigeria for being Christian in the last 14 years, report says
44 People Killed in Jihadist Attack in Burkina Faso
Fighting in Sudan leaves 100 Dead and Hundreds Injured - Pope Francis Prays for Peace
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Possessing Nothing
10. Cassian said
that Syncleticus renounced the world, and divided his property among
the poor. But he kept some for his own use, and so he showed that
he was unwilling to accept either the poverty of those who renounce
everything or the normal rule of monasteries. Basil of blessed
memory said to him, 'You have stopped being a senator, but you have not
become a monk.'
April 17, 2023
(Joh 20:29-31) Jesus
saith to him: Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed:
blessed are they that have not seen and have believed. Many other signs
also did Jesus in the sight of his disciples, which are not written in
this book. But these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing, you may have life in
his name.
CHURCH LIFE JOURNAL: A Catholic History of the Fake Conflict Between Science and Religion
BISHOP BARRON GOSPEL REFLECTION:
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Thomas says that he will not believe in the
Lord’s Resurrection unless he puts his finger in Jesus’ nailmarks and
his hand in Jesus’ side. Thomas is a saint especially suitable for our
time. Modernity has been marked by two great qualities: skepticism and
empiricism, the very qualities we can discern in Thomas.
And when the risen Jesus reappears,
he invites the doubter to look, see, and touch. But then that
devastating line: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
If we stubbornly said—even in the area of science—that we will accept
only what we can clearly see and touch and control, we wouldn’t know
much about reality. This helps us to better understand Jesus’ words to
Thomas. It is not that we who have not seen and have believed are
settling for a poor substitute for vision. No; we are being described
as blessed, more blessed than Thomas. God is doing all sorts of things
that we cannot see, measure, control, fully understand. But it is an
informed faith that allows one to fall in love with such a God.
BLOG: Resurrection Reflections
If Catholics lived by their risen life within,
They could yet save a world drowning in sin.
“The Resurrection,” says modern man, “oh yes, it’s a lovely idea, it
gives comfort to weak souls to think that there may be something after
death, especially something nice, like some kind of heaven, but of
course it’s not true. Once people die, they don’t come back to life,
science knows that that just doesn’t happen. Death is the end. We need
to stop dreaming. We need to get on with our lives on earth and live
them to the full, for as long as we can, and accept that we will all
die, and that’s it. It’s over. Nothing.”
That is how many a man would like to think, because of course it gives
him permission, so to speak, to live life just as he likes, without
having to worry about anything after death. He need not care about the
Ten Commandments, or God, or Heaven or Hell, or eternity or anything
like that. He believes in Science, Science says that all that religious
twaddle cannot be proved, it is just pious nonsense. Unfortunately for
such a man, it is not he who created himself in his mother’s womb, it
is not he who built the framework of life on earth into which he was
born, it is not he who set the conditions on which he lives and dies.
“Know ye that the Lord, He is God: He made us and not we ourselves. We
are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Ps. IC, 3). (As for
“Science,” it cannot make an ant live, let alone a human being.)
And a large part of the conditions on which we live is that we are
composed of body and soul, and death consists in the two being
separated. Then the body normally decomposes and rots, as we can
observe, but, whether we like it or not, the soul lives on because it
is immortal, pure spirit, with no material parts to fall apart and
decompose. At that moment of death the soul comes before the divine
Judge, as neither we nor Science can observe, but as is certain in many
places of the Word of God (e.g. Mt. XXV, 46; Jn.V, 29). If the soul
goes to Heaven, it rises for eternal life; if it goes to Purgatory, it
rises for purgation of remaining sins until it is fit for Heaven; if it
goes to Hell, it rises from death to fall into eternal live punishment.
In any case the soul by itself lives on without its body until that
body rejoins it at world’s end, for eternity.
“Well,” says our modern friend, “if those are the conditions on which I
find myself here, I do not accept them! When I was conceived in my
mother’s womb, I was not consulted as to whether or not I wanted to be
born, and if I had been consulted, I would have said NO to living for
ever. I protest! It’s not fair!”
My good friend, firstly, it’s too late to protest. You now exist, your
soul exists, and it can never cease to exist, except if God were to
annihilate it, which He could do but never does, as His true Church has
infallibly told us. And secondly, it’s unfair to protest, because His
one and only purpose in giving you life as a sheer gift, without your
being consulted, was that you should go to Heaven to enjoy everlasting
and unimaginable bliss by seeing Him spiritually in all His dazzling
glory. Now the brute animals have a soul,but it is a purely material
soul, incapable of spiritual bliss, so for you to share in His bliss He
needed to make you a rational animal with intelligence and free-will.
However, if God did give you free-will, He and you ran the risk of your
misusing it, but that would not be His fault. In fact every single soul
in Hell remembers, all too clearly, how relatively easily it could have
been saved, if only it had wished, and this memory is a large part of
its unending torment. In life, God’s help had always been “closer than
the door” (Irish saying). It is only the soul that chose not to want
it. True, the soul was not consulted before it was given existence with
no possibility of not existing for ever. But the possibility of seeing
God is so magnificent that it is protesting against it which is unfair.
Therefore, if we have been baptised, we should have risen with Christ
from the spiritually dead to a new life, says St Paul. Let Catholics
but lead that new life, and their example can save whatever can still
be saved in our poor world.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Possessing Nothing
5.
Evagrius said that there was a brother who had no possessions except a
Gospel book and he sold it in order to feed the poor. He said something
worth remembering: 'I have sold even the word that commands me to sell
all and give to the poor.'
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Jubilee
2000: Bringing the World to Jesus
The
Tribulation Times Archives:
FAIR
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