Keep
your eyes open!...Keep
your eyes open!...
December 21, 2007
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN IN EARLY 2008, GOD WILLING (James 4:15). MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR!POPE ADDS TO THE LIST OF THREATS TO WORLD PEACE
Nuclear- arms proliferation, environmental pollution and economic
inequality are threats to world peace - but so are abortion, birth
control and same-sex marriage, Pope Benedict XVI said in a his message
for the celebration of the World Day of Peace.
“The Human Family, a Community of Peace” is this
year’s papal message for the World Day of Peace, which will be
observed Jan. 1.
Presenting the nuclear family as the “first and indispensable
teacher of peace” and the “primary agency of peace,”
the 15-page document links sexual and medical ethics to international
relations.
“Everything that serves to weaken the family based on the
marriage of a man and woman, everything that directly or indirectly
stands in the way of its openness to the responsible acceptance of new
life ... constitutes an objective obstacle on the road to peace,”
Benedict writes.
Regarding actual military conflicts, the pope laments African civil wars and violence in the Middle East.
Condemning what he describes as a global “arms race,”
Benedict calls for a “progressive and mutually agreed dismantling
of existing nuclear weapons.” In his message, the pope also
endorses greater cooperation on environmental protection, writing that
“further international agencies may need to be established”
for the purpose. He also calls for an “equitable distribution of
wealth” in a globalized world.
Cardinal George: Pope's Peace Message Is "Urgent"
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 2- "On Detachment"
6. It is worth investigating why those who live in the world and spend their life in vigils, fasts, labours and hardships, when they withdraw from the world and begin the monastic life, as if at some trial or on the practising ground, no longer continue the discipline of their former spurious and sham asceticism. I have seen how in the world they planted many different plants of the virtues, which were watered by vainglory as by an underground sewage pipe, and were hoed by ostentation, and for manure were heaped with praise. But when transplanted to a desert soil, inaccessible to people of the world and so not manured with the foul-smelling water of vanity, they withered at once. For water-loving plants are not such as to produce fruit in hard and arid training fields.
December 20, 2007
(Luke 2:7) And she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger: because there was no room for them in the inn.
LINK: Christmas, Anti-Christ and Catholic triumphalism-
Recent attacks against Christmas are nothing new - the Church has
been defending Christmas against a concerted, diabolical attack for
almost 2,000 years
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS CRIB
The beautiful custom of setting up mangers to commemorate the birth of the Infant Jesus was started by Saint Francis of Assisi.
It was the year 1223. Saint Francis went to Rome to obtain from Pope
Honorius III authorization to celebrate Christmas in a totally new way.
Saint Francis chose a forest in the vicinity of the village of Grecio,
in the region of Umbria, not too far from Rome, where a good friend of
his lived, the noble Giovanni Velita.
About 15 days before Christmas, Saint Francis said to him: “If
you want to celebrate the feast of the Divine birth in Grecio make
haste to prepare what I indicate to you.
“So that we can properly remember the circumstances in which the
Divine Child was born and all the inconveniences he endured as he lay
in the manger on straw between an ox and an ass, I would like to
re-create this in a palpable way, as if I had seen it with my own
eyes.” Many religious and the residents of Grecio and the
surrounding area were all invited for this special commemoration. Just
before midnight, the Franciscan friars went in procession to the spot
chanting the antiphons of Advent. They were accompanied by the
villagers who carried flaming torches.
The wind blew strongly and the light of the torches projected their
flickering shadows on the dense forest. However, in the clearance where
the crib had been set-up, there reigned an ambience of sacrality and
peace; only the cold was a nuisance.
When the village bell of Grecio began to toll midnight, a priest began
to celebrate Mass. The altar had been placed in front of the crib with
the ox and ass on either side. A beautiful full-size statue of the
Child Jesus rested on the straw.
As is well known, Saint Francis never wanted to be ordained a priest
out of humility. Because of this, as deacon, it was his duty to
solemnly sing the Gospel of that Christmas Mass.
After the reading of the Gospel, all waited attentively to hear the
sermon that Saint Francis himself gave on the grandeurs and mercies of
the Savior of the human race, who that night was made flesh and dwelt
among us.
Saint Francis spoke words with a supernatural sweetness about the
poverty in which the God-man was born and about the insignificant city
of Bethlehem. It is difficult to imagine the fiery love that the sweet,
clear, and sonorous voice of Saint Francis produced in the hearts of
those privileged to hear him.
At the end of his sermon, Saint Francis bent over to kiss the statue of
the Divine Child. At this moment a miracle took place that only he and
Giovanni Velita saw. The statue became alive. It was as if it had been
woken from a profound sleep with Saint Francis’s kiss, and then
the Child Jesus smiled at Saint Francis.
At the consecration, when the bread and wine truly become the Body,
Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Saint Francis was
able to contemplate the Messiah in two ways: in the form of the Holy
Eucharist and laying in the manger.
At the end of the solemn midnight Mass, and after having incensed the
manger, the friars returned to Grecio and the villagers to their homes.
Everyone was full of supernatural joy.
The veracity of this event can be certified by the sanctity of the one
who experienced it, as well as by the miracles that happened
afterwards. The straw from the manger was carefully kept by the people
and was an efficacious remedy to miraculously cure sick animals and an
antidote against many other diseases.
This devout and hitherto unknown institution of the manger was
enthusiastically received by the faithful. Saint Clare of Assisi
established it in her convents. Every year she set-up the manger
herself.
The Franciscan friars also spread this custom far and wide. Whether
composed of figurines artistically carved from clay, porcelain, or
wood, the crib became the very symbol of Christmas.
From the majestic cathedral to the simplest rural chapel, from the
palace or mansion to the humblest abode, Catholics worldwide, since
that time, have had the pious custom of setting up a manger. In this
way they repeat the custom that Providence inspired from the seraphic
Saint Francis of Assisi in the remote year of 1223.
VIA THE PHILIPPINES: Symbols of Christmas
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 2- "On Detachment"
5. Having resolved to run our race with ardour and fervour, let us consider carefully how the Lord gave judgment concerning all living in the world, speaking of even those who are alive as dead, when He said to someone: Leave those in the world who are dead to bury the dead in body. His wealth did not in the least prevent the young man from being baptized. And so it is in vain that some say that the Lord commanded him to sell what he had for the sake of baptism. This story is more than sufficient to give us the most firm assurance of the surpassing glory of our vow.
December 19, 2007
(Luke 2:9-11) And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them and the brightness of God shone round about them: and they feared with a great fear. And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy that shall be to all the people: For, this day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: "Prepare for the coming of the Lord, since those who know the joy of that hope, know it does not disappoint, so renewed, they should pray for peace in the parts of the world in conflict, for all our brothers, especially children, who can benefit from the gift of peace, which we all need."
CHRISTMAS JOY- THE ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST
Even
Christmas joy can be “wrong” if it is a joy which originates in a
culture where “happiness is an idol”, instead of that joy of hope found
in the Saviours’ birth. This Sunday is known as “gaudete” Sunday” or
the Sunday of “rejoicing” and it offered Benedict XVI the opportunity
to reflect on the Christian sense of the season leading up to Christmas.
“The
mystery of Bethlehem – the Pope told the 30 thousand people present in
St Peter’s square for the Angelus prayer – reveals God –among-us–, the
God who is near to us, not only in the sense of time or place; he is
near to us because he “married” our humanity; he took our condition on,
choosing to be like us in every way, except in sin, so that we could
become like Him. Christian joy therefore, lies in this certainty: God
is at hand, is with me, in joy and sorrow, in sickness and in health,
like a friend and faithful spouse. This joy remains even in the face of
trials and sorrow, but not only on the surface, it is a joy that lies
in the deepest innermost heart of he person who entrusts himself to God
and confides in Him”.
“Some – he continued – ask themselves: but
is this joy still possible today? The answer is given, with their very
lives, by men and women of every age and social condition, happy to
consecrate their existence to others. Was blessed Mother Theresa of
Calcutta not perhaps the best example of this true evangelical joy, in
our times? She lived in daily contact with misery, human degradation,
death. Her soul knew the trial of the dark nights of the faith, and yet
she gifted God’s smile to all”. Benedict XVI then quoted a phrase of
Mother Theresa, where she used to say: “We wait impatiently for Heaven,
where God is, but it is in our power to know heaven even here on earth
in this very moment. Being happy with God means: loving like Him,
helping like Him, giving like Him, and serving like Him”.
“Joy –
repeated the Pope – enters the hearts of those who put themselves at
the service of the smallest and poorest. God resides in those who love
in this way, and he animates them with joy. If instead happiness is
made an idol, then the road to true joy, the joy of which Christ
speaks, is impossible to find. Unfortunately this is the proposition of
cultures which place individual happiness in the place of God, a
mentality which finds its emblematic effects in the search for pleasure
at all costs, in the spreading of the use of drugs as an escape, a
refuge in an artificial paradise, which reveals it to be just an
illusion. Dear brothers and sisters, even at Christmas you can make a
wrong turn, and mistake the real feast with that which does not open
hearts to the joy of Christ”.
RELATED: Prayers and Customs of Christmas and Advent
LINK: Christmas Carol Has Special Meaning
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 2- "On Detachment"
4. Let us listen to what the Lord said to the young man who had fulfilled nearly all the commandments: 'One thing though lackest: sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor and become a beggar who receives alms from others'.
December 18, 2007
(Rom
10:15) And how shall they preach unless they be sent, as it is written:
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, of
them that bring glad tidings of good things?
Vatican defends duty to evangelize and accept converts
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 2- "On Detachment"
3. After our renunciation of the world, the demons suggest to us that we should envy those living in the world who give alms and console [the needy], and be sorry for ourselves as deprived of these virtues. The aim of our foes is, by false humility, either to make us return to the world, or, if we remain monks, to plunge us into despair. It is possible to belittle those living in the world out of conceit; and it is also possible to disparage them behind their backs in order to avoid despair and to obtain hope.
December 14, 2007
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Eph 1:9-10) For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 2- "On Detachment"
2. After our call, which comes from God and not man, we have left all that is mentioned above, and it is a great disgrace for us to worry about anything that cannot help us in the hour of our need, that is to say, the hour of our death. For as the Lord said, this means looking back and not being fit for the Kingdom of Heaven. Knowing how fickle we novices are, and how easily we turn to the world through visiting, or being with, worldly people, when someone asked Him: 'Suffer me first to go and bury my father,' our Lord replied, 'Let the dead bury their dead.
December 13, 2007
(John 20:22-23) When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.
Few Confessions- Sacrament's Decline Has Church's Attention
"The beginning of good works is the confession of evil works. You do the truth and come to the light." — St. Augustine
When he was a freshly ordained
Catholic priest at Christmastime 49 years ago, the Rev. Henry Cody
recalled the long lines for confession at his former parish in
Naugatuck. Priests took confessions for three days.
"I remember the senior curate saying he wanted to make sure and wish me
a Merry Christmas 'because this may be the last time you have any
Christmas spirit,'" said Cody, now pastor of the Church of St. Timothy
in West Hartford, laughing. "It was hour after hour after hour. It's
not that way anymore."
Advent and Lent draw more people to
confession than the regular Saturday afternoon sessions during the rest
of the year, but many never go at all. Across the country in the past
several decades, the number of Catholics who confess their sins and
seek God's forgiveness — formally known as the sacrament of
reconciliation, or penance — has dropped dramatically.
A Georgetown University study in 2005 found that 42 percent of
Catholics didn't go to confession, a steep decline from the early
1980s, when "The Notre Dame Study of Catholic Life Since Vatican II"
found that 26 percent of Catholics didn't go.
Various reasons for the slide have been offered. Some Catholic leaders
and theologians say a softer stance on the sacrament since Vatican II,
the 1960s reform council, convinced some Catholics that the sacrament
was not necessary. Others point to the sexual abuse scandals that have
tainted priests throughout the country, or to a perception that
confession is perfunctory and trivial.
Connecticut priests say they've seen the decline here, but most say the
main reason isn't Vatican II, abusive clergy or anything else but the
loss of moral responsibility in a permissive and selfish culture that
has smothered the sense of sin.
"We are last to blame ourselves and quick to blame others," said the
Rev. John Gatzak, spokesman for the Hartford Archdiocese. "That's
probably one of the reasons we've experienced a decrease, because human
nature being what it is, we don't want to accept personal
responsibility.
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER: Bishops Want to End The Confession Crisis
ARCHIVES: Pope John Paul II- APOSTOLIC LETTER MISERICORDIA DEI
CATHOLIC ONLINE: An Examination of Conscience
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 2- "On Detachment"
1 (cont.). But having shaken off all ties with earthly things and having stripped himself of all his cares, and having come to hate even his own flesh, and having stripped himself of everything, he will follow Christ without anxiety or hesitation, always looking Heavenward and expecting help from there, according to the word of the saint: My soul hath cleaved after Thee; and according to the other ever-memorable man who said: I have not wearied of following Thee, or have I desired the day or rest of man, O Lord.
December 12, 2007
Excellent Review: THE HISTORY OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
Today the statue of "Divine
Motherhood" stands on the Guadalupe River in Spain. From 711-1326 it
was lost. In 1326 Our Lady appeared, and the statue was found in a cave
on the Guadalupe (Wolf ) River. A shrine and monastery was built. The
monastery is called the Royal Monastery of Guadalupe. It houses the
statue of "Divine Motherhood".
It was there, that Columbus, and the Franciscan Friars, who sailed with him to America, prayed.
It was also there, that Cortez and the 12 Franciscan Friars, who sailed with him to the Americas, prayed.
When Juan Diego in 1531 was told by Our Lady on Tepeyac, The Hill to
the pagan Mother God , to tell the Spanish Bishop that she wished her
image to be called "de Guadalupe", we can certainly see what a
confirmation he must have received.
The impossible task of conversion of the Aztec Nation was accomplished
through this image of Guadalupe, with the conversion of 3000 people a
day for 8 years. ( That was 9 Million conversions) . This was the most
monumental conversion in all of Christian History.
IMAGES: http://www.sancta.org/gallery/
LINK: Our Lady of Guadalupe versus the Culture of Death
MORE: Could Islam be conquered not by the sword but by a river of love?
OPINION:
Her message to the bishop was that God’s church should be
built out on the fringes of society, amidst the poor and the
downtrodden. The vision challenged the powerful conquerors, the
Spaniards of Mexico City, to change their way of thinking and acting.
It challenged them to move out from their position of power and
influence to the periphery; to leave their magnificent cathedral and
build God’s house in Tepeyac – among the poor and the
despised, away from the center of power and culture and education and
the arts.
Guadalupe is a "vision" story and, like all such stories, tells us something about God and something about ourselves. More precisely, it tells us how God wants to be among us. St. Juan Diego’s vision of where God wants to be or whom we should listen to should come as no surprise to us. Throughout history, God has consistently chosen to be with poor people. In that respect, the Blessed Virgin Mary’s message to St. Juan Diego at Guadalupe is a restatement of Jesus’ mission: That God is in those who are hungry, thirsty, imprisoned, naked, sick, stranger, and suffering. The challenge for us is to heed the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the message of Christ’s Gospel, and reach out to those who belong to the margins of our society.
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 2- "On Detachment"
1. The man who really loves the Lord, who has made a real effort to find the future Kingdom, who is really pained by his sins, who is really mindful of eternal torment and judgment, who really lives in fear of his own departure, will not love, care or worry about money, or possessions, or parents, or worldly glory, or friends, or brothers or anything at all on earth.
December 11, 2007
(Mat 24:12) And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold.
LINK: Pope Laments Christmas Consumerism
LINK: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Less Like Christmas
COMMENTARY EXCERPT:
One day I saw a commercial by Hyundai, the car manufacturer. The ad
featured people singing holiday songs but substituting the words with
"Duh". Apparently, if you're thinking of a new car, well, duh, of
course you should get a Hyundai. The singers, wearing robes like a
choir, formed a circle and in the middle was the focus of their
adoration...a Hyundai vehicle. Then the camera focused on a bearded man
holding a lamb, clearly meant to be Jesus paying homage to the car.
A few days later I saw another commercial, this one by the company that
operates Stone Mountain Park just outside Atlanta, Georgia. The ad was
filed with pictures of colored lights, festive scenes, candy canes,
happy children, and multiple shots of a jolly Santa Claus in his bright
red suit. As the music rose to a climax, the narrator spoke the
following words, "Come and see what Christmas is really about."
My third experience involved a movie due out soon called The Golden
Compass. It's about a strange world and a child of destiny come to rid
it of the domination of those who determine what others can believe.
Though heavily marketed for children, the story is a combination of
fantasy and social satire created to make a point. The author of the
original books has made it clear what that point is, saying he was
"trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief" and later, "My
books are about killing God."
These experiences have bothered me a great deal. The Hyundai commercial
depicts Jesus worshipping their vehicle. The Stone Mountain commercial
subtly tells us Jesus is not the reason for the season. New Line Cinema
develops a movie based on a message intended as an attack on
Christianity. All three occur specifically and intentionally during the
very season the vast majority of Christians have set aside to honor and
proclaim the birth of Christ. Do you believe these result from mere
coincidence? I do not.
RELATED: Red Bull pulls nativity ad
CATHOLIC RESPONSE: Imitating the three Magi this Christmas
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 1- "On Renunciation of the World"
14. Some build bricks upon stones. Others set pillars on the bare ground. And there are some who go a short distance and, having got their muscles and joints warm, go faster. Whoever can understand, let him understand this allegorical word.
December 8, 2007
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
PRAYER OF POPE JOHN PAUL II (December 8, 2003):
December 7, 2007
(Gen 3:15) I
will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her
seed: she shall cursh thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.
LINK: The Triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart by Thomas J. Euteneuer
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Michael J. Coppi: The Triumph of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a war of Holy against Evil by Paul Martina
I was in the military for many years. I am now in the Militia
Imaculata. I have been in wonder at the lack of understanding of the
messages of Father Gobbi, and other seers regarding the Triumph of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. I know I think in a militaristic fashion but
this is a battle of good and evil so just bare with me and I will
eventually get to the point.
During the late 80s and all of the 90's many people were called back to
a life of grace in the Roman Catholic Church. It's as if a grace bomb
went off. Many people were awakened from a sleeping life of complacency.
The messages to the world from heaven seemed to increase in dramatic
proportion. More and more people started to say the Rosary, go to
confession, and return to the Eucharist. Consecration of your life to
the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus and the Holy Spirit increased in
dramatic proportions, only heaven knows the exact number of souls that
set themselves aside for a holy purpose.
If you are going to war many preparations must be completed. Equipment
must be manufactured, troops trained, logistics for supplies must be
carefully planned. If we look at history most wars were lost on pure
logistics. No supplies and no food, you can't fight for long. Our
country has a great logistical dependency on Oil in the middle east for
example.
Logistics of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: Grace!
But let's examine that simple word in greater detail.
Jesus Christ has delegated the crushing of the head of the serpent to his mother. Why? Because He loves her.
Mary has asked for all of her children to participate in the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart. Why? Because she loves us.
God will assist us when we pray? Of course, but God will also always
honor our free will, so there are some conditions to this assistance.
1. We must be in the state of grace. We cannot receive grace if we are not in the "state of grace". Confession and repentance.
2. We must ask for the grace. God does not just want us to drop him a
telegraph, He wants a real relationship and for us to truly understand
that we depend on Him for grace. He wants us to continually ask for
grace.
There are some events we can do with God that have extremely special
meaning to Him. These He has deemed will call on special graces (Attend
Mass, pray the Rosary, etc...). These are battleships of grace.
3. We can turn up the spicket of grace by our Consecration to Him
through the Blessed Virgin Mary. A good soldier does what his sargent
says. No soldier has been accused on treason for obedience of a lawful
order. We can not be accused of not doing what God wants by listening
to His mother.
She will always do the will of the Chief and Commander of Heaven. We do
His will by listening to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Turn up the spicket
of grace by becoming a Mamma's Boy!
.....................
So what? Well now I will finally get to the point.
The Triumph of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a war of Holy against Evil.
The logistics include the prayers of those in the state of grace
calling down the assistance of God for this battle. Mary has already
accomplished may parts for this battle.
1. Establish the supply lines. (The conversion of many during the 80's and
90's back to the state of grace)
2. Recruit and train troops. (The messages from Heaven calling us back to confession, rosary and the Eucharist).
3. Repair for battle. (Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.. The sargent that every troop should follow over the hill.)
People that are looking a MMP and say "Where is the Triumph?" Don't understand it, yet... but they will....
...next time I will give you a reflections on the events and how they
relate to the Triumph and Chastisements and why these event will happen
together.
LINK: Pope Highlights Mary as Solemnity Nears
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 1- "On Renunciation of the World"
12. When the soul betrays itself and loses the blessed and longed-for fervour, let it carefully investigate the reason for losing it. And let it arm itself with all its longing and zeal against whatever has caused this. For the former fervour can return only through the same door through which it was lost.
December 6, 2007
(Mat 28:19-20) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 1- "On Renunciation of the World"
11. To lag in the fight at the very outset of the struggle and thereby to furnish a token of our coming slaughter is a very hateful and dangerous thing. A firm beginning will certainly be useful for us when we later grow slack. A soul that is strong at first, but then relaxes, is spurred on by the memory of its former zeal. And in this way new wings are often obtained.
December 5, 2007
(Mat 5:9) "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
POPE BENEDICT XVI STRESSES MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUELadder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 1- "On Renunciation of the World"
10. Those who enter this contest must renounce all things, despise all things, deride all things, and shake off all things, that they may lay a firm foundation. A good foundation of three layers and three pillars is innocence, fasting, and temperance. Let all babes in Christ begin with these virtues, taking as their model the natural babes. For you never find them in anything sly or deceitful. They have no insatiate appetite, no insatiable stomach, no body on fire, or raging like a beast; but perhaps as they grow, in proportion as they take more food, their natural passions also increase.
December 4, 2007
Pope: Advent, Christ’s hope stronger than scienceLadder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 1- "On Renunciation of the World"
9. All who enter upon the good fight, which is
hard and close, but also easy, must realize that they must leap into the
fire, if they really expect the celestial fire to dwell in them. But let
everyone examine himself, and so let him eat the bread of it with its bitter
herbs, and let him drink the cup of it with its tears, lest his service
lead to his own judgment.
Links 
E-mail
Dr. Zambrano 
Home
Jubilee
2000: Bringing the World to Jesus
The
Tribulation Times Archives: